


Naruto (a.k.a. The Ending We Deserved)

by Aniimone



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cohabitation, F/F, False Marriages, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, In Vitro Fertilization and Surrogates, M/M, Mutual Pining, Politics, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-16 07:13:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14806755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aniimone/pseuds/Aniimone
Summary: Before the massacre, Itachi had a vision. Not a typical genjutsu, he realized that when even the mangekyou wouldn’t break it. No, Itachi saw a future where his plan succeeded and the Uchiha remained a proud name for some time. A future where his little brother was tormented and abandoned. He saw a future where Sasuke left the village at a young age to finish Itachi’s plan, one where Madara returned and the world was engulfed in a war to end all wars. Itachi saw the destruction his decision could cause. So he spoke to Danzo and the third Hokage and cut a bargain. He would carry out his orders to stop the Uchiha coup d'etat, and he would stay to protect his little brother from the life he might have lived. The clan’s name would be forever soiled, but perhaps it would be best for Sasuke to prove his worth as a shinobi and not by birthright. The fourth Hokage’s son will have to endure the same fate. Why should he abandon them both for his own selfish reasons?





	1. Be Careful Who You Trust

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is minimally edited and was written mostly as a canon complaint! Please enjoy!
> 
> (If it’s not mentioned in detail assume it happened pretty similar to canon.)
> 
> If Kishimoto gets to write relationships that develop between characters who have never dated anyone else ever and love one person their whole life, so do I.

Itachi never thought he might be asked to kill his own family. And yet, that is exactly what Danzo and the third Hokage requested when his very own parents began to plan a coup. Itachi couldn’t let someone else do the deed; they would kill his little brother. His innocent little brother, who has nothing to do with the secret clan meetings or the legacy of violence their clan is steeped in. Sasuke, who will have no idea why all of his family has suddenly been murdered. An entire clan, children included, killed because they didn’t want to be isolated forever and Itachi would be the sole survivor. What kind of older brother could do that?

And so Itachi, merely a teenager, has been asked to make an impossible choice: his family, or his village?

The night before the operation, Itachi stares at the ceiling of his dark room. He doesn’t think he can fall asleep, but he’ll need his energy for tomorrow. His parents won’t give him an easy fight. But Sasuke… How can he kill Sasuke?

Itachi finds himself in a dark cave, seated on a stone throne. He looks down to find himself wearing an Akatsuki robe and startles. He looks up as footsteps approach and sees his younger brother stalking toward him with narrowed eyes, one hand on the hilt of a katana.

“Otouto,” Itachi murmurs.

He can’t see Sasuke’s leaf headband. His brother is older, too. Wearing clothes not dissimilar to Orochimaru’s… Itachi’s eyes widen with a realization. Orochimaru has brought Sasuke away from the village. Probably as a missing-nin. So this must be after Itachi’s plan succeeds, and Sasuke has come to kill him. Can he do it?

Suddenly, Itachi is in a field. His body feels lighter, weaker. Again, he’s facing his little brother but this time he can tell he won’t survive this fight. He feels sick.

Then, later, a view from above. Sasuke attacks the Raikage, wearing an Akatsuki robe… A conversation in a forest, discussing right paths and painted signs. And yet another image, this one of his brother and little Naruto Uzumaki, all grown up and trying to kill each other.

Itachi wakes with a start, gasping for breath as he sits up, cold sweat soaking his shirt. His plan is a stupid one. He can’t try to handle everything on his own and leave. It’s better to stay and allow the clan’s coup to be revealed than leave Sasuke like that, alone and broken-hearted. His eyes had become so cold; he was no longer the sweet boy Itachi always meant to protect.

What a horrible older brother he is. 

Itachi gathers his things quickly and gets dressed. He runs to Danzo’s office quickly, appearing in the blink of an eye. Danzo looks up from the documents he’s reading, raising an eyebrow curiously, and Itachi kneels before him.

“I can’t go through with it,” Itachi admits quietly, his voice muffled by his mask.

“What do you mean?” Danzo inquires, his voice stern like a teacher asking a student why his homework is missing.

“My plan. I’ll stop the Uchiha uprising, but I can’t abandon Sasuke. I’ll stay in the village, but allow me to spare him. He is just a boy, he knows nothing and would do anything for me if I asked. I don’t care if the Uchiha name is soiled by this operation anymore, just allow me to train him as a Konoha shinobi and not an Uchiha.”

Danzo rises from his seat and Itachi looks up, expecting to see the man’s ever-present disapproving frown, and startling at the small smile he finds instead.

“Very well. If that is all, you may go. The Hokage will announce the coup d’etat after the clan has been eliminated.”

Itachi bows his head again in gratitude before he disappears. He walks home slowly, savoring the clear night air. He pauses by Sasuke’s door once he’s inside the house and slides it aside just a crack, peering at his little brother through the dark. Itachi has to protect him. The future he just caught a glimpse of was dark. This will not be easy for either of them, but at least Sasuke won’t be left completely alone. He’ll still have his older brother to compete with, after all.

Itachi closes the door with a quiet click and returns to his room. He has a lot of preparation to do if he intends for this mission to be successful.

~+~+~+~

Sasuke comes home from school and immediately notices that something is _wrong_. The compound is too quiet. Nobody is moving. His aunties don’t call his name or wave when he walks by. Then he sees the first body and his scream rips through the silent air.

Sasuke races through the streets, sobbing and calling his older brother’s name. He finds their parents, a masked ANBU standing behind them with a sword. They fall together, blood pooling around their bodies. Sasuke can’t tell what he’s feeling. His eyes are burning, but his tears are already falling. No, he can see better; he can see chakra. His Sharingan must have activated.

The ANBU disappears before Sasuke has time to recognize him, so Sasuke continues through the house. Itachi’s room is untouched and clean, his brother nowhere to be found. Sasuke climbs onto Itachi’s bed and draws his knees to his chest, his body wracked with sobs as the faces of his family flashes through his mind. Why would someone do something like that? An ANBU member, too? There has to be a reason! Is Sasuke next?

“Otouto,” a low voice calls from the doorway.

Sasuke looks up through blurry red eyes, his Sharingan faded back to black. He can recognize his brother in the pale orange light of the morning. How long has he been crying here?

“Sasuke,” Itachi says gently, crossing the room to kneel in front of him. “I don’t have much time to explain before the Hokage calls an assembly, but I’d rather you hear this from me. Our parents were leading a coup against Konoha. Fugaku and Mikoto wanted to overthrow Lord Third, so I was given the order to eliminate the clan before that could happen. Sasuke, I had to take the order or you might have been killed. Because it was me, I convinced the leaders of the village to spare your life and allow us both to stay in Konoha. We will no longer be haunted by the Uchihas’ crest of blood, otouto. Hate me if you must, but please, don’t blame the village.”

“Nii-san…”

Sasuke stares at him with wide, wet eyes, and Itachi reaches out to hug him. Sasuke shrinks back, curling into himself and hiding his face in his knees.

“Why did they have to kill them?” Sasuke asks quietly, voice muffled.

Itachi hesitates. How can he explain this to Sasuke? The world of adults is so complicated and raw, so inappropriate for a child to see. And yet, he already has. Itachi sighs and bows his head, still kneeling on the floor.

“There are some times when the easiest solution to a problem is to kill it. Be it a person or the past. Sasuke, I’m sorry. I would have found another way if I could.”

“Nii-san,” Sasuke calls, his tone dark and bitter. 

He looks up, eyes narrowed, and Itachi’s throat ties itself in a knot. Poor Sasuke… What kind of world is this they live in? Sasuke continues in that same tone of voice, poison dripping from his words.

“I want to kill the Hokage.”

“Sasuke!” Itachi hisses frantically, eyes widening as he looks around. “You can’t say that!”

“Why not?!” Sasuke asks loudly, standing on the bed. “I want to! He killed my family, didn’t he?! You didn’t have a choice but to follow his orders!”

“Sasuke, quiet down!” Itachi demands, grabbing his shoulders and forcing him to sit at the edge of the bed. “Yes, the system is cruel, but you can’t go around saying things like that! You could be killed. I can’t lose you too, otouto. I intend to become Hokage one day and change the laws of this land so something like this can never happen again, but until then, you have to stay quiet! Understand?”

Sasuke and Itachi stare at each other, one defiant and the other desperate, scared. Finally, Sasuke relents. He hangs his head and sighs, remembering the sight of his parents’ bodies. Maybe this is all just a bad dream.

A gong is hit in the distance and Itachi stands, offering his hand to his little brother with a forced smile.

“Come now, otouto, it’s time for the assembly.”

~+~+~+~

Naruto notices a somber mood in the village when he is on the street the next morning. People whisper as he walks past, but for once it’s not about him. He catches the words “Uchiha”, “survivors”, and “overthrow”. Frowning, he looks for Sasuke and spots him not very far away, Itachi standing over him protectively. That’s strange; Itachi rarely spends time with Sasuke anymore.

“People of Konoha!” the third calls from the top of the tower, raising his hands for silence. “I am sure plenty of you have heard about the events of last night.”

“I haven’t,” Naruto mutters, kicking a stone.

An older woman shushes him and he pouts, crossing his arms.

“The Uchiha clan was planning a coup d’etat!”

Naruto’s eyes widen as he looks up again.

“To preserve order and peace, they have been eliminated! With the exception of one of Konoha’s finest and most loyal shinobi, as well as his younger brother, a promising young student! I hope you will not dwell on this clan’s past misdemeanors and are willing to continue treating these two as your equals! That is all,” old man Sarutobi exclaims before stepping back from the edge.

Almost immediately, the crowd erupts into whispers and exclamations, but Naruto stands still. Time comes to a stop for him. He stares at Sasuke and Itachi, his friends and perhaps the only people who have ever treated him with any semblance of humanity. Even Lord Third all but left Naruto to fend for himself. The Uchihas who fed and clothed him when nobody else would.

And now, they are outcasts too.

Naruto grits his teeth and clenches his fists.

It isn’t right. Why should they be labeled as criminals for a crime they didn’t commit? Nobody is going to listen to the third hokage’s request. To the others, Sasuke and Itachi are as guilty as their parents. It almost would have been kinder to have killed them as well.

Sasuke looks over at him and startles to find Naruto already staring. Then Sasuke narrows his eyes and does something Naruto never expected. He walks toward him. Itachi calls out to him and follows, but Sasuke crosses the distance quickly. He stands face to face with Naruto, two rivals, and tentative friends. Now, two outcasts.

“Let’s be friends.”

Naruto blinks. Sasuke tilts his chin up and repeats his statement, louder.

“Let’s be friends, Uzumaki.”

Naruto gulps, unsure what to say or even if he can say anything with the way his throat tightens. He’s never had a real friend before. Finally, he nods. Sasuke nods back solemnly as if this is a binding contract. Friends.

 _Yeah,_ Naruto thinks, _friends._

His smile manages to make even Sasuke smirk a little bit.

~+~+~+~

Sasuke and Naruto are inseparable. They hated each other before, constantly competing, but ever since the incident they’ve become thicker than thieves. The first day back at school after the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke is subjected to the same fearful whispers Naruto has experienced his whole life. He is amazed by Naruto’s cheerful demeanor despite it. Sasuke doesn’t talk to anyone but Naruto and Itachi for weeks, unless called upon by a teacher. It’s no wonder, really. He never talked much before, but he becomes even more silent. Under Itachi’s supervision and training, Naruto and Sasuke both grow. Naruto always seems to struggle a little more, pick up information a little less, but Sasuke helps him out. Naruto skips school less, plays fewer pranks. Sasuke learns to enjoy life and realizes that training and his future aren’t all that matter.

By the time their genin teams are assigned, the two of them are an obvious pair. It’s when the third and final member of their group is announced that the class breaks out into whispers as Sasuke and Naruto turn to each other and blink in amazement.

Sakura Haruno stands up and exclaims in a loud voice, “Why do I have to be grouped with them?!”

“Genin teams are chosen based on skill and complementary personalities. Sasuke and Naruto are exact opposites of each other, and you are the opposite from each of them,” Iruka announces.

“Ino is too!”

“The Ino-Shika-Cho combination is legendary! It’s only fitting those three clans’ heirs are put in that group. Now sit down, Sakura. You can’t change your assignment. Besides, if I remember correctly, you used to have quite the crush on Sasuke!”

Pouting, Sakura crosses her arms and sits as the class starts snickering. Sasuke and Naruto stare at her silently until she sends them a glare before sticking her nose up. Sasuke gives Naruto exhausted look, speaking without using words.

_I don’t like her._

Naruto pouts slightly. He still loves Sakura, despite her obnoxious behavior. Sasuke doesn’t understand him sometimes. Most of the time, actually.

After the rest of the teams are announced, and class is dismissed. Sasuke and Naruto start to walk back to Itachi’s house but Sakura calls after them. They turn toward her and wait as she runs up to them, stopping about a meter away with her hands on her hips, frowning.

“Don’t think just because we’re teammates I’m going to be nice to you!” she shouts, drawing the attention of a few other students.

“We wouldn’t expect anything less,” Sasuke replies flatly, glaring at her with his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah?! Good! ‘Cuz you’re a traitor, and you’re a troublemaker! I hope I make chunin before both of you!”

Naruto grits his teeth, clenching his fists at his sides. Sasuke steps in before he can say anything to embarrass them both.

“My brother’s going to be the next Hokage, so we’ll see about that,” Sasuke replies calmly.

“Yeah! And I’m going to be Hokage after Itachi-nii, so don’t expect me to promote you!” Naruto jeers, pulling a face.

Sakura rolls her eyes and turns her back to them, walking away. Sasuke and Naruto keep going, picking their way through the streets and back to their house. They step through the doorway and announce their presence, slipping off their shoes before they walk inside. Itachi has been out on a mission for the last week, and he said it might last up to a month.

Sasuke heads to the kitchen and starts making tea while Naruto takes off his headband and stares at it. He still can’t believe he graduated, and he wouldn’t have done it without Sasuke and Iruka’s help. He may have stolen a secret scroll and learned a forbidden jutsu, but he wasn’t about to let Sasuke leave him behind. Naruto smiles and runs his thumb over the engraved symbol of their village. He looks up at the only photo he has of his family, hung in the hallway. Sasuke and he are standing beside each other, arms around each other’s shoulders while Itachi stands behind them with an affectionate smile in his ANBU gear. Sasuke and Naruto both know he was the one who carried out the order, but none of them ever speak of it. Sometimes Sasuke has nightmares about that night. Naruto always hugs him and tells him it’s alright until Sasuke calms down and falls back asleep.

Smiling, Naruto ties his headband back on and follows Sasuke into the kitchen. The tea is almost ready, and Sasuke sets out two mugs for them. Naruto thanks him quietly and accepts one when Sasuke hands it to him. They sit at the dining table.

“It’s ridiculous,” Sasuke says eventually.

“What is?”

“The fact that you graduated just because Iruka said so,” Sasuke replies, shaking his head. “You stole a forbidden scroll.”

“This means we’re on the same genin team though, dattebayo!”

Sasuke shakes his head with a small smile as Naruto beams, blissful. He hasn’t been this happy since Sasuke asked to be his friend all those years ago. Sasuke can’t always look at him when he smiles like that. It’s just too bright.

“I hope nii-san comes home soon so we can show him our headbands!” Naruto exclaims, straightening his unnecessarily.

Sasuke nods his assent, sipping his tea. It feels right to have one. He’s finally a real shinobi, even though the villagers still might not accept him or his brother. He’s not sure why they hate Naruto, except for the fact that he’s a prankster. Sasuke kind of likes that side of him though, not that he would ever say it. He certainly understands the entertainment, even if he would never do something like stick a chalkboard eraser in the doorway himself. He hates to admit it, but he likes Naruto. They’re friends. Nearly brothers, but their relationship is something different from what each of them feels for Itachi.

The villagers have accepted Itachi more than they have the younger boys, simply because somehow the rumor got out that Itachi was really the one who carried out the order. No one knows how, but Sasuke suspects the other ANBU released it.

Sasuke thinks back to the way Sakura reacted when her name was listed along with theirs. Naruto has always loved her, and she used to love Sasuke until that night when everything changed. She took after her parents and everyone else in Konoha and began to treat Sasuke with distrust and hatred because of something he didn’t even know about until it was too late. The Uchihas are traitors, and Naruto is a troublemaker. No wonder the only house they could buy was on the very edge of town.

“Sasuke?” Naruto calls, peering at him curiously. “Are you okay, -ttebayo?”

Sasuke shakes his head slightly to clear it and looks up at him, into those concerned blue eyes he’s grown so familiar with.

“Yeah. Just… tired.”

Naruto frowns. He knows him better than that, but he won’t pry. Sasuke does that sometimes, where he gets stuck in his head. If he really needs to, he’ll talk to Naruto.

“Alright, well, we should go to bed early tonight so we can be well-rested for our first day as genin tomorrow, dattebayo!”

Sasuke smiles at his enthusiasm and nods, sipping his tea. Naruto’s right. They have to work harder than anyone else to prove themselves. Soon, they won’t be the traitor and the troublemaker anymore.


	2. Aching Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Intro to SasuNaru??

After Itachi caught onto Orochimaru’s plan and managed to imprison him, Konoha thought the chunin exams would be fine. Oh, how wrong they were. Danzo and his Root agents managed to kill the third Hokage and were killed for treason because of it. Then Naruto became introduced to a perverted old man who Sasuke doesn’t like at all.

Naruto and the old toad sage went off on some adventure without Sasuke to find a woman to potentially step in as the fifth Hokage, and Sakura began learning from her mistakes during the chunin exams. Sasuke realizes he’s starting to lag behind and asks Itachi to teach him the clan’s secret jutsus. At first, Itachi vehemently refuses. After a few weeks, though, Sasuke wears away at him. One morning over breakfast, Itachi sets his chopsticks down and agrees to it. Elated, Sasuke follows him after they clean the dishes. They go back to the compound and pause at the gates, staring up at the faded clan symbol on the wall in silence.

“Nii-san, why do we have to come back here?” Sasuke asks quietly, hiding behind him like the ghosts of his family are going to come chase them away.

“You want to learn. This is where you can. Stay close to me.”

Itachi leads the way and Sasuke clings to his hand, reminded of that night. Itachi carefully keeps his emotions in check as he brings Sasuke to the secret meeting place and shows him the stone tablet that states the clan’s history.

“It’s blank,” Sasuke notices, sounding unimpressed.

“Look closer,” Itachi replies, watching him out of the corner of his eye.

Sasuke frowns for a minute. Finally, he gasps and widens his eyes, activating his Sharingan. Itachi smiles. Sasuke reads the history with a furrowed brow and looks up when he finishes.

“What does that have to do with the clan techniques?”

Itachi sighs and takes a seat, gesturing for Sasuke to do the same. They face each other, kneeling on the cement.

“A long time ago, there were two brothers.”

Sasuke listens intently as Itachi tells the story of the Sharingan, its users, and the Uchiha’s curse of hatred. He gasps softly when Itachi tells him what he would have to do in order to transform his Sharingan into the Mangekyou, like Itachi’s. He listens as Itachi tells him the story of Shisui’s death, and finally, everything makes much more sense to him.

“So, in other words… I should find another way to become stronger,” Sasuke summarizes carefully.

“Yes,” Itachi concurs with a stoic expression. “I will teach you what I can, but your friends have already begun developing their own styles of ninjutsu. You cannot simply follow my path, otouto.”

“...Orochimaru.”

Itachi frowns. He caught the man before he got a chance to harm Sasuke during the chunin exams. Why is Sasuke bringing him up now?

“He was one of the three sages of Konoha, right?” Sasuke asks.

“Yes, why?”

“He’s strong. If Naruto is being trained by Jiraiya, why can’t I be trained by Orochimaru? What if we become the next sannin?”

“Sakura would have to be trained by Tsunade for that to happen, and that would require Tsunade returning to Konoha and filling the seat of Hokage,” Itachi states, frowning. “As much as I believe in Naruto, I’m not sure even he can convince that woman.”

“Why can’t you be Hokage? And why can’t I train under Orochimaru anyway?”

“Because the villagers still don’t trust me enough and because he’s far too dangerous. I’d rather you be taught by Kakashi, your legitimate sensei.”

“He’s not strong enough!” Sasuke complains, throwing his hands in the air. “I can’t be the best if I don’t have a strong enough teacher.”

“Then read. When you become chunin, request to travel abroad and learn other jutsus. Take inspiration from others and train hard. Don’t give up. I’d have thought Naruto would have taught you by now: there are no shortcuts to success, otouto. None worth taking, anyway.”

Sasuke can see the sadness in his brother’s eyes and nods, his own eyes stinging from using the Sharingan and from his own disappointment. He suspects Itachi is telling him this not only so he will break the curse of hatred, but also so he will change the meaning of the Uchiha name. They stopped wearing their crests the day after they started being shunned for them.

Sasuke and Itachi walk back to the house in silence. Sasuke glances at Naruto’s messy room on his way to his own and looks away quickly. He misses him a little, but he would never admit it aloud.

Sasuke takes a seat at his desk and starts to study some of the genjutsu documents he borrowed from the library. After a while, Itachi’s voice calls his name.

“Yeah?!” Sasuke calls back.

No response.

Sasuke pouts and gets up. He leaves his room and walks down the hall to the living room, where Itachi and Sakura are seated. They look up when he enters and Sasuke frowns, pausing in the doorway and crossing his arms.

“Sasuke-kun,” Sakura says, standing up.

She takes a few steps forward and falters at the suspicious look in his eye. She sighs and looks away, fiddling with her fingertips.

“I… I’ve never apologized for how I used to treat you and Naruto. And after you both saved me during the exams, I think it’s long overdue. So I’m sorry.”

She bows deeply and Sasuke raises an eyebrow, glancing over at Itachi. His older brother shrugs slightly and Sasuke sighs, uncrossing his arms.

“It’s fine. Why don’t you stay for dinner?”

Sakura lights up, but her smile isn’t as bright as Naruto’s. It doesn’t melt his heart or make the corners of his mouth twitch. Still, when Itachi looks at him with affectionate pride, Sasuke feels a little embarrassed.

A crow lands on the windowsill and the two Uchihas look at it, then at each other, and back at it. There’s a note tied to his ankle, undoubtedly from Naruto. Sasuke holds out his hand and the bird flies to him with a caw. Carefully, Sasuke removes the note and thanks the bird before it flies away. Sasuke peels open the note carefully. It’s unmistakably Naruto’s handwriting. Sasuke could never miss that messy, barely legible scrawl.

_Hey! I found her, we’re coming home soon!_

The note is signed with the letter N and a narutomaki symbol. Sasuke smiles and crumples the note up.

“Naruto’s on his way back,” he announces.

Sasuke is staring at him. Sasuke notices and turns towards her, his smile falling as he asks her what’s wrong. She shakes her head.

“I’ve just never seen you smile before. It’s… cute.”

“Sasuke-kun smiles quite a lot around Naruto,” Itachi announces.

“Nii-san!” Sasuke exclaims, eyes widening.

Itachi just chuckles and leans back on the couch, crossing an ankle over his knee with a smile. Sasuke pulls a face and Sakura giggles, drawing their attention back to her. She’s smiling at him fondly and for some reason it makes him feel a little sorry for her. She’s developed a crush on him again since they passed Kakashi’s test, but he has never felt anything more than the slightest amount of camaraderie for her.

“Sasuke-kun, you’re so adorable when you’re relaxed,” she says, tilting her head and tucking her hands behind her back. “You kind of start to act like Naruto.”

Sasuke groans and rolls his eyes, turning his back to them and starting to make his way back to his room. Sakura follows him, and Sasuke remembers that he asked her to stay for dinner. That was stupid.

Maybe he is a little bit like that moron after all. They have spent the last few years together.

“You and Naruto are pretty close, huh?” Sakura asks, looking around at Sasuke’s sparsely decorated room.

“Yeah.”

“When did that start? You used to hate each other, and suddenly you were like best friends.”

They look at each other. Sasuke narrows his eyes. It started the day the village alienated him and his brother.

“It doesn’t matter,” he tells her icily, picking up some of the books on his desk.

He starts to organize them into a stack. Sakura glances over his shoulder and reads one of their titles.

“Intermediate Genjutsu. Cool. Why don’t you train with me? I could really use the practice with breaking it!”

“Are you sure?” Sasuke asks, watching her out of the corner of his eye. “I won’t go easy on you.”

“I know! Come on, I’m not some idiot like Naruto!”

Sasuke smirks slightly. When she used to call Naruto an idiot, Sasuke would get angry. Now, the three of them are close enough friends that he allows it.

“Fine. Come with me.”

Sasuke leads her out to the backyard, past the fire pit and the pond, through the woods to one of the village’s training grounds. It’s the one he and Naruto use most frequently, sometimes with Itachi when he has the time.

“Ready?” Sasuke calls.

Sakura smiles, a challenging glint in her eyes, and nods firmly. Sasuke grins and they begin.

~+~+~+~

Naruto hums as he marches back home. He has learned a new jutsu, one that will serve him well. It was invented by the fourth Hokage, so of course the future Hokage managed to learn it in such a short period of time!

By the time Naruto makes it to their front door, the sky is almost dark and tainted a hundred colors. Naruto slips into the house silently and is about to announce that he’s back, but he hears voices in the dining room and hesitates, curious. He slips off his shoes and scuffles over to the doorway. The sight he beholds makes him freeze, gaping. Itachi and Sakura are laughing over dinner, teasing Sasuke, who is blushing. For once, Naruto’s attention isn’t on Sakura even though she’s in the room. He has never seen Sasuke blush before. He’s seen him cry, seem him laugh, but never blush.

“Ah, Naruto!” Itachi calls happily, waving to him. “We were just talking about you! Come here, you must be tired.”

As if in a dream, Naruto sets his backpack down and joins them at the dining table, sitting beside Sasuke who won’t quite meet his eyes. Naruto serves himself some rice and Itachi’s stir-fry. As he tastes it, he forgets why he was staring at Sasuke.

“Man, I missed your cooking!” he sighs contentedly.

After his third bowl, Naruto slows down a bit.

“How was your trip?” Itachi asks conversationally.

“Great! We got that granny to come back to the village, so she can fix up Lee’s leg. And I learned a new technique! Sasuke, we should spar sometime!”

“Tomorrow,” Sasuke grumbles, back to his usual grumpy self.

“Aw, alright! It’s super cool, dattebayo! The pervy-sage said it was invented by the fourth Hokage!”

“Interesting,” Itachi comments, raising his eyebrows as a hint of a smile lingers on his lips. “Sasuke-kun has improved his Chidori as well.”

“Really?!”

“Mhm. You can’t use your new jutsus on each other though, swear to me.”

Both boys make eye contact and huff, annoyed at not being allowed to properly show off their progress. Finally, Naruto sighs and relents first.

“Alright, I won’t use my Rasengan on Sasuke unless he _really_ deserves it.”

Itachi gives Sasuke a stern look and Sasuke sighs, rolling his eyes and looking down into his rice.

“Fine,” he mutters, propping his cheek on his fist.

“Fine, what?” Itachi prompts, raising an eyebrow.

“Fine,” Sasuke sighs, glaring, “I won’t use Chidori on Naruto unless he’s being an idiot.”

“But he’s always an idiot!” Sakura exclaims, reminding them all that she’s still here.

“Exactly,” Sasuke replies, smirking at her.

“Hey!” Naruto shouts, scowling.

Sasuke just turns his smirk to him, looking like a smug cat. Naruto huffs and shovels more food into his mouth. Sasuke smiles as he looks at him. He has missed having Naruto around, to tease and to train with. From the smiles Naruto sends him, Sasuke can tell Naruto missed him too. Even though he would deny it if he was asked.


	3. Old Friends, New Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, some parts go pretty similar to canon. No point in changing things that made sense and did end up developing the characters.

After Naruto comes home, nothing really seems to change between their team 7 except for the way Sakura starts to devote more time to her studies and abandons her useless crush on Sasuke.

When Sasuke passed the chunin exams with Shikamaru, nobody was really that surprised. Sure, it didn’t help the villagers’ animosity towards him, but it certainly gave him some rank to pull with the other shinobi.

Now, Naruto is travelling with Jiraiya of the sannin to train with him. Sakura is learning medical ninjutsu from Tsunade, another of the legendary sannin. Sasuke, with Itachi’s permission, has been visiting Orochimaru in prison to learn from him what he can. After a year, Sasuke feels he’s advanced as far as he can in the village and pays a visit to the Hokage.

His sandals scuff the floor as he makes his way through the old building, his katana weighing on his hip. The villagers are still wary of him despite the shinobi vest he wears now and the standard Konoha shinobi turtleneck and pants, his headband hung from his belt alongside his sword.

Sasuke knocks on the office door and hears a crash. He ducks as the door opens and an empty sake bottle shatters on the wall behind him, making the corner of his mouth twitch before he straightens up and looks at the village’s most esteemed shinobi, a drunken old woman with a gambling habit.

“Oi, oi, what d’you want, Uchiha brat?” she slurs, pointing at him with a long, manicured finger.

“I came to request permission to leave the village on a training venture, Lady Tsunade,” Sasuke tells her, stepping up to her desk.

“Eh? And what makes you think I’ll say yes?”

“The fact that my brother is your most obvious successor and my best friend is currently training with a shinobi of… dubious morals,” Sasuke replies, raising a delicate, dark eyebrow.

Tsunade snorts and leans back in her chair, smiling at him.

“I always liked your wit, Uchiha. You’ve got my permission, now get out of my face,” Tsunade tells him with a dismissive wave. “If you see the Uzumaki brat, give him a good beating for me!”

Sasuke bows in thanks and leaves, nodding to Shizune on his way out. He walks home for once, instead of skipping over the rooftops like he usually would. He nods to Sakura and Ino as he passes them, on a date at Ino’s aunt’s tea shop. They giggle and wave him over. With a resigned sigh, Sasuke picks his way across the street and stands by their table.

“Sasuke-kun! What are you up to?” Sakura asks, tilting her head.

“I was going home to pack my bag so I can leave Konoha,” Sasuke states matter-of-factly. “I’m going to go train in other nations and see what I can learn.”

“Oooh! Say hi to Naruto for us if you see him, okay?” Ino requests, beaming and taking her girlfriend’s hand.

“Of course,” Sasuke replies with a bow. “I’ll make sure to write.”

“You’d better! Itachi might demote you to gate duty or something when you come home if you don’t!” Sakura exclaims. “Now go. I’ll be chunin by the time you come back, you hear?”

Sasuke smiles slightly and nods before he walks away. He hasn’t really told anyone that he’s leaving except for Itachi. Not even Naruto knows. Sakura has gotten used to his habit of not mentioning things until the last minute. She knows he prefers to live a quiet life, especially with the way the villagers treat him.

Itachi may have their respect, but Sasuke still has a ways to go before he fully earns it.

Sasuke is reminded as he walks through the forest how quiet it can be without Naruto by his side. They aren’t as close as they used to be, and part of that is Sasuke’s fault. They still write each other letters, but Naruto’s busy training and Sasuke has been on missions. He hasn’t even told Naruto he’s travelling.

Sasuke looks up at the sky and sighs softly. He’s almost fifteen. Naruto left a little under a year ago. Sasuke hasn’t had anyone to comfort him when his nightmares wake him since, nor someone to spar with and confide in. Naruto is his best friend, his one and only. Sakura is a good friend and Itachi is his brother, but his bonds with both are not as strong as his and Naruto’s.

Sasuke doesn’t have a plan for his travels. He just wants to go. Hopefully, he’ll cross paths with Naruto at some point.

Sasuke smiles and slips his hands into his pockets, enjoying the cool breeze for once.

It’s nice to be out of the village.

~+~+~+~

Naruto sighs contentedly as he sinks into the hot spring. He and Jiraiya are on their way back to the village now, and he has improved quite a lot since they left. Itachi is going to be so impressed.

Naruto is sixteen now. He hasn’t heard from Sasuke since his birthday. Which was six months ago.

It used to worry him, but then he remembered that he would have heard something if anything happened to Sasuke or Konoha. He wonders how Sasuke’s training abroad has been going.

The door slides open and Naruto doesn’t bother opening his eyes. That is, not until he hears a deep voice call his name in a questioning tone.

Naruto gapes at the man standing on the stones on the other side of the onsen. With those dark eyes and pale skin, there’s no mistaking him as anyone other than Sasuke, but his hair is as long as Itachi’s now and he looks strong.

“Sasuke,” Naruto breathes, feeling his face heat up and blaming it on the steam.

Silently, Sasuke slips into the water and carefully makes his way across. Neither of them breaks eye contact. Sasuke stops about a meter away and Naruto grins.

“Hi!”

“I didn’t expect to come across you here,” Sasuke replies, a hint of a smile pulling on the corners of his mouth. “How have you been?”

“I’m great, dattebayo! What about you? How’s your training abroad?”

“Fine,” Sasuke answers, nodding once before he turns away slightly and puts his elbows up on the edge of the stone, facing the water. “I’d ask you to spar with me, but I’m exhausted.”

“Me too,” Naruto chuckles, mimicking his posture but still looking at him. “You’ve changed.”

Sasuke glances at him and quirks an eyebrow, smirking. He glances over Naruto’s torso, or what’s visible through the water, and back up with a glimmer in his eyes.

“So have you.”

Naruto frowns. Sasuke is… kind of sexy. When did his voice get so deep?

“Shut up,” Naruto mutters, looking away before Sasuke can see his embarrassment.

“You know, Sakura and Ino are dating,” Sasuke says casually, looking up at the trees that ring half of the onsen.

“What?” Naruto asks, whipping his head around to stare at him.

“They asked me to say hi to you for them when I left.”

“Sakura-chan and Ino?” Naruto murmurs, disbelieving. “But they’re both girls!”

Sasuke narrows his eyes at him.

“Yes. And?”

“Well, two girls can’t be dating. That’s like two guys!”

“Why not?” Sasuke asks carefully. “Just because you haven’t seen it happen before doesn’t mean two people of the same sex can’t be in love.”

“Hm, I suppose… Then, are you into guys, Sasuke?”

Sasuke startles. Then his cheeks turn pink and he splashes Naruto.

“You’re wrong! Idiot!”

Naruto laughs and backs away, splashing him back. Their little fight soon turns into an all-out splash war, until Naruto uses two clones to restrain Sasuke. Sasuke quickly becomes painfully aware that both he and Naruto are completely naked, and that his body is reacting to that fact.

“Let me go,” he warns, glaring at his best friend.

“No, you’re gonna hit me!”

“I won’t, just let me go.”

Naruto hums skeptically before he asks, “Why should I trust you?”

“You shouldn’t. Just let me go. Please.”

Naruto frowns slightly and the clones disappear. Sasuke breathes a small sigh of relief and sinks into the water up to his chin again. Naruto drifts over and asks if he’s okay.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sasuke assures him, shaking his head.

“Your face looks red. Maybe you should get out of the water, Sasuke-kun,” Naruto suggests softly, eyebrows knitted together.

“No,” Sasuke replies firmly. “I’m fine.”

“Hm? Well, whatever. Are you going to come home with me now or what?”

“I still have plenty to learn, so I’ll keep traveling for a while,” Sasuke tells him. “Tell aniki I miss him, will you?”

“Okay.”

The door opens again and both of them turn. Jiraiya looks at them calmly, blinking slowly.

“I see you found a friend, Naruto.”

“Actually, this is Sasuke,” Naruto introduces, grinning.

“Hello,” Sasuke greets, bowing his head slightly.

Jiraiya hums and slips into the water, staying on the opposite side of the boys and keeping a wary eye on them. Naruto and Sasuke look back at each other and smile.

“So this is your esteemed master?” Sasuke teases.

“At least my sensei isn’t a missing-nin prisoner!” Naruto shouts back, pulling a face.

“Orochimaru was also one of the sannin.”

“Wait, you were trained by Orochimaru?” Jiraiya asks, narrowing his eyes at the teenager in front of him.

“For a time, until I learned all I could from him and asked the fifth Hokage to allow me to travel,” Sasuke answers, untying his low ponytail and starting to braid his hair.

“You’re just as old as Naruto though, why would she let a brat like you travel alone?”

Sasuke glares at him sharply and says, “I’m not some little helpless genin. I earned my chunin vest during the Konohagakure Chunin Exams. I am the last heir of the once esteemed Uchiha clan and a bearer of the Sharingan with a mastery of kenjutsu and the Uchiha clan’s fireball technique, as well as Kakashi-sensei’s Chidori.”

“Jeez, brag much?” Naruto mutters, crossing his arms.

“Shut up, usuratonkachi.”

“Hey! Bastard.”

“Uchiha?” Jiraiya interrupts, wide-eyed.

“Hm?” Sasuke responds, raising his eyebrows. “Yes.”

“I see… So you’re Itachi’s little brother. I’ve always wondered something. Why did you survive the elimination?”

Sasuke narrows his eyes and Naruto puts a hand on his shoulder, subtly warning him not to lash out while still showing that he’s here for him.

“Because I knew nothing of the coup. My brother begged the Hokage and Danzo to spare my life so my brother could teach me to be a loyal Konoha shinobi.”

“I see… And, you befriended Naruto because both of you lost your families and were treated as outcasts,” Jiraiya realizes, raising his eyebrows.

The two boys stare at him with guarded eyes and stoic expressions, memories of lonely days and hushed voices haunting both of them.

“Naruto, why don’t you stay in my room? I’m sure Jiraiya-san would like a break from you, and I wouldn’t mind catching up,” Sasuke says lowly, turning toward him slightly but keeping his eyes on Jiraiya.

“Alright, dattebayo. Let’s go,” Naruto replies, getting out of the hot spring and wrapping his towel around his waist.

Sasuke nods to Jiraiya before he follows Naruto. They dry off and get dressed in the onsen’s provided robes, and Sasuke follows Naruto back to his and Jiraiya’s room so Naruto can collect his things. Then they go to Sasuke’s room and sit across from each other on the floor.

“So?” Naruto asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“I mostly just wanted to get away from that man,” Sasuke admits, averting his eyes and smiling slightly. “It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah,” Naruto agrees with a nod, watching him carefully. “You’re more talkative.”

“Hn.”

“Did you make friends, Sasuke?” Naruto asks, grinning.

“Some.”

“Did you find a girlfriend?”

Sasuke looks at him sharply and Naruto’s grin widens, foxlike.

“No. I’ve been training, like you. I don’t have time for a relationship,” Sasuke retorts, sticking his nose up slightly.

Naruto bites his lip and hums, skeptical. Sasuke narrows his eyes at him.

“What? Have you?”

“No,” Naruto replies in a cheeky tone. “But I’ve learned my fair share about that sort of stuff.”

“What sort of stuff?”

“Oh, you know. The sort of stuff the pervy-sage writes about. Those books Kakashi-sensei reads.”

Sasuke’s eyes widen.

“No,” he breathes. “You can’t have.”

“Oh, I can, and I did,” Naruto replies, grinning again and holding his index finger under his nose. “I read his books!”

“You pervert!” Sasuke accuses in a hushed tone, resisting a smile.

A beat of silence passes before they start laughing.

“You should come back with me. Just for a little while,” Naruto suggests when they calm down.

“I can’t. I’m tired of the villagers staring at me like I’m a traitor,” Sasuke replies, bowing his head. “I know you can put up with it because you know you’re going to prove yourself to them, and I don’t doubt that you will, but I’m not strong enough yet. You have a lot more friends than I do. I’d rather travel to lands where people don’t know my name than stay in a village where people disrespect me for a plan I knew nothing about.”

For a long moment, Naruto is silent. Sasuke expects him to give some spiel about friendship and bonds, but he remains silent. When Sasuke looks up, Naruto is just gazing at him with sad eyes and a sympathetic smile.

“Alright. When you do come back, I’ll be waiting, dattebayo.”

Sasuke’s eyes widen. Naruto really has grown up in the time they’ve been apart. Sasuke smiles and looks down again, staring at his hands.

“Thank you, Naruto.”


	4. And So the Outcasts Become the Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oof

Sasuke didn’t expect any kind of welcome when he returned to the village, but he also wasn’t expecting Naruto to be completely absent. Itachi tells him he’s at a place called Mount Myoboku learning sage techniques from the toads, and that Jiraiya is dead.

Sasuke hasn’t been in touch with Naruto since they ran into each other at the onsen, but he’s heard about the tailed beasts and all the trouble Akatsuki is causing. It’s the reason he returned to Konoha. He wanted to be there to protect Naruto if the time comes that he needs it.

Although apparently, that’s unnecessary.

“I thought he would have told you, otouto,” Itachi says with a frown.

“We haven’t been in contact since we ran into each other while he was on his way back to Konoha with Jiraiya,” Sasuke replies, looking at the photograph on the wall.

“Hm. You should visit Jiraiya’s grave, especially if you don’t plan on staying for long.”

Sasuke nods and listens as his brother tells him where it is. He leaves without another word and walks to the forest on the edge of the village, passing his clan’s collection of graves without a glance. He finds a stone memorial at the base of a tree and kneels, giving a small prayer before he looks at the grave itself. He frowns at the sight of a small scroll with his name on the seal. Carefully, he picks it up and breaks the seal, unrolling it slowly. Naruto’s handwriting.

_Sasuke~ If you’re reading this, you came back to the village before I finished my training with the toad sage. This was the pervy sage’s last wish, and I can’t rely on the kyuubi’s power anymore; otherwise I would’ve been there to welcome you home. I hope you’re alright. I know I haven’t sent you any letters or anything. Forgive me, dattebayo. I miss you, and I’ll come back as soon as I can. ~N_

A spiral is drawn beside his initial, and Sasuke smiles at it as he rolls up the scroll again and slips it into his pocket. He straightens up and starts to walk back to the village, thinking about Naruto. He wonders how much stronger Naruto has gotten since they last talked.

As he walks back through the village, he runs into Ino and Sakura who are both carrying their own stack of scrolls and books.

“Sasuke-kun!” Sakura exclaims, eyes widening. “You’re back!”

Sasuke nods and looks at the books in her arms.

“What are those for?” he asks quietly.

“Um. They’re medic-nin stuff,” she replies, looking at his hair. “We’re taking them to Tsunade. I like your braid.”

Sasuke looks up at her and blinks a few times. Eventually, he smiles slightly and thanks her, bowing his head. He looks at Ino too for a moment before he says goodbye and keeps walking. He hears the women whisper as he walks away.

“He got hot,” Ino comments.

“Yeah. I hope Naruto finally notices,” Sakura replies, smiling at her old friend. “Let’s go.”

~+~+~+~

When Pain attacks, Sasuke is one of the first shinobi to jump into action. He and Itachi take down the animal user and the soul-stealing Pain, both together. Suddenly, the remaining attackers disappear. Some of their fellow shinobi begin celebrating, but the Uchiha brothers look at each other and nod. Something is going to happen. Something big.

They scan the area with the Sharingan until Sasuke sees a body floating below the sun. He calls out to Itachi but before his brother can see the threat, Pain attacks.

Konoha is leveled in an instant.

Sasuke finds himself on the ground and blinks hard, clearing his vision as best he can. He struggles to kneel and get a look over the precipice of the cliff of rubble he’s on. In the center of the village is a crater. Sasuke’s eyes widen in shock. That’s impossible. Nobody has this kind of power.

“Naru… to,” he rasps, pushing himself to his feet and forcing himself to stay standing even as his vision goes dark around the edges. “Don’t… come… home.”

“Sasuke,” his brother calls, appearing beside him in his full ANBU uniform but missing his mask. “Stay here. You’re injured.”

“I’m fine!” Sasuke snaps, slapping his hand away. “I can still fight. I have to.”

He takes a step toward the edge and stops as a cloud of white smoke appears in the crater. His Sharingan shows three huge figures, a smaller one on top of the center toad. Sasuke’s eyes widen as he sees that familiar blonde hair.

“No. You idiot, he’s after you! Go back!” Sasuke screams, running toward the edge, but Itachi catches his wrist and holds him back.

“Otouto, wait. He’s much stronger than you remember. I’m afraid he may be our only hope.”

Sasuke’s heart stops.

“Our only… hope…”

Sasuke’s legs give out. Itachi catches him and kneels beside him, but Sasuke keeps staring at Naruto. At the confident posture of his shoulders, the scroll on his back, his red cloak flapping behind him in the wind. They watch the battle as it ensues, and for a while, it looks like Naruto really might win. Sasuke is awed by his strength, but Pain is too strong. He pins Naruto down with those black rods he uses, and Sasuke’s mind goes blank except for one thought: save him.

“He’s going to be killed. I have to do something, aniki, I can’t just--”

“Hold on, Sasuke,” Itachi hisses, grabbing his shoulders roughly. “Don’t rush in there. Think about this.”

Finally, Sasuke looks at him, eyes wide in shock and brimming with tears.

“I can’t,” he whispers, his heart pounding in his ears. “When it comes to him, I can’t think. I’m sorry aniki. I can’t lose him.”

“Sasuke!” Itachi shouts, but Sasuke is already gone. “Damn it.”

Gritting his teeth, Itachi follows him and pushes him out of the way as Pain attacks.

“Itachi!” Sasuke screams, watching as his brother is thrown into the air.

Sasuke doesn’t have time. He hurries to Naruto’s side and reaches for the spikes pinning him down, but suddenly his own body is pushed away. Naruto calls his name, but Sasuke grits his teeth and rolls into a kneeling position when he hits the ground. He can’t get close to Naruto or Pain, not unless Itachi manages to distract him enough. Two Uchiha against one Akatsuki member. It shouldn’t be that bad, right?

That’s what he thinks until he sees Itachi dashed into the earth again and again and gets pushed back, again and again, unable to help the two people he loves. His kunai do nothing. Pain dodges his Chidori lightning blade. He can’t get Pain to look him in the eye to capture him in a genjutsu.

He’s useless. As useless as he was that night.

And then Pain stabs Itachi through the heart with another pole.

Sasuke stares for a moment in shock. He senses the kyuubi’s chakra a few meters behind him and to his right, but he can’t tear his gaze away from his brother’s corpse. His eyes burn, but not because of tears. No, as his vision turns red and he feels something thicker than water run down his cheeks, he knows this isn’t his usual Sharingan. This is the Mangekyou.

Sasuke turns his gaze on Pain and activates it. Black flames come to life at the spot in the distance behind the place where Pain had been standing just a moment before, and Sasuke sees purple surround him. This must be Susano’o.

“Sasuke,” Naruto’s voice growls, accompanied by the sound of metal snapping.

“Yeah,” Sasuke replies, narrowing his eyes at Pain.

In an instant, the two boys the village feared most of their lives become heroes to be praised for generations.

They drive Pain out of the village with the kyuubi’s strength, combined with Sasuke’s Susano’o. Naruto loses consciousness and grows six tails, then seven, then eight, and manages to return to himself. He and Sasuke defeat the final Pain. They don’t have time to talk, but the look Naruto gives Sasuke says they need to, later. They find Nagato in his cave and Sasuke stays outside as Naruto goes in to talk with him.

Only when Naruto is out of sight does Sasuke release the Mangekyou and check his wounds. He falls to his knees and feels the bruising on his ribs, but nothing seems broken. He doesn’t have any more chakra to use, though. Naruto is going to have to finish this fight on his own. Sasuke’s vision is shifting in and out of focus, and he assumes it must be a side effect of the Mangekyou. It’s a powerful doujutsu, but it holds significant risks.

And Itachi. Itachi, lying dead in that crater with a metal spike driven through his heart, despite all his bravery and strength. Why him?

Sasuke starts to cry.

A few minutes later, Naruto comes out of the cave and Sasuke chokes back a sob, turning his head away so Naruto won’t see his tears. Naruto kneels beside him and puts a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke tenses, but he doesn’t move away.

“Did you…?”

“Yeah,” Naruto answers softly. “The village is safe.”

Sasuke nods and sniffs, wiping the blood and tears from his cheeks. Naruto helps him stand and they start back in the direction of the village, leaning on each other.

“How did you suppress the kyuubi?” Sasuke asks, unable to look at him.

“The fourth Hokage sealed some of his chakra inside my seal in case I ever lost control of the kyuubi like that,” Naruto explains, expression solemn. “He… He helped me. It’s crazy, but he said he’s my dad.”

Sasuke frowns, but then he chuckles.

“You? The fourth Hokage’s son?”

“Hey, I’m a pretty damn strong shinobi, dattebayo!”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Sasuke replies, shaking his head. “It makes sense. Just… the irony of it. We’re both the last heirs of powerful shinobi, but we grew up shunned by the villagers. Now, we just saved everyone, but how do you think they’ll repay us?”

“I don’t know,” Naruto sighs. “It’s alright though. Even if they treat us the same, we’ll just keep showing them our strength, -ttebayo.”

“Moron. They’ll treat us like heroes alright, but they’ll expect us to forgive them for all the pain they caused us.”

Naruto is silent for a moment.

“Maybe we should.”

Sasuke stops walking and turns to him, letting go of his shoulder.

“What?”

Naruto stops with him and bows his head, biting his lip.

“Maybe it’s time. I know… I know it’s going to be hard, but… they were just scared. We can’t blame them for being scared. I’ve been terrified of the kyuubi my whole life, even before I started using his power.”

“But that doesn’t excuse--”

Naruto looks him in the eye and Sasuke’s words die in his throat. Naruto has never given him that look before.

“Sasuke, listen to me. Hatred, vengeance, anger… None of it is going to solve anything. Pain thought the only way to cleanse humanity was to destroy it, but he was wrong. We can stop the curse of hatred if we try, but I can’t do it without you, Sasuke. Please, promise me you’ll forgive them all. Promise you’ll forgive me for asking this of you.”

Sasuke just stares at him for a moment as his eyes brim with fresh tears. He tilts his head and opens his mouth to answer, but the words won’t come out and he has to try again.

“Okay. I promise.”

To his surprise, Naruto embraces him.

“Thank you,” Naruto whispers in his ear, voice heavier than Sasuke has ever heard it.

Sasuke closes his eyes and hugs him back, breathing in the smell of dirt and sweat and smoke, all underlaced by the freshness of nature. They could both use a shower.

“Okay. Let me go, please. My ribs hurt,” Sasuke rasps.

“Sorry,” Naruto says hurriedly, stepping back.

He smiles, and Sasuke narrows his eyes.

“I missed you,” Naruto tells him, beaming brighter than the sun itself.

“Shut up, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke mutters, turning away and starting to walk again. “We have to get back to the village.”

“In that state, I don’t think either of you can make it very far on your own,” Kakashi says, perching on a branch above them.

“Eh?! When did you get there?!” Naruto shouts at him.

“More importantly, how much did you hear?” Sasuke asks lowly, putting his hand on the hilt of his katana.

“Enough. Now, let’s get you home, heroes.”


	5. An Uchiha Hokage?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for, or not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewatched that dumb filler episode for this.

Sasuke is summoned to the Hokage’s makeshift office one morning and stands in front of the desk, clasping his hands behind his back as the Hokage reads through some documents, his reading glasses perched low on his nose.

“You wanted to see me, aniki?”

“Ah, Sasuke,” Itachi greets warmly, looking up. “I want you to accompany Naruto to Kumogakure.”

Sasuke frowns.

“What?”

“You can’t tell him this, but the shinobi world is preparing for war. The five kage decided to hide the jinchuuriki away, as they are what Tobi and his accomplices seek. Naruto must not know anything about the war or the true purpose of this mission, understood? He has already received a prophecy from the Great Lord Elder that foretells his meeting with an octopus, who must be Lord Killer Bee, jinchuriki of the hachibi. I need you to guard Naruto, in case something happens,” Itachi tells him, looking his little brother in the eye over the edge of his glasses.

“Understood,” Sasuke replies, bowing. “I assume Naruto is to be trained by Killer Bee?”

“If possible, yes, but don’t force the matter. Bee-sama already knows the situation. It’s up to you to make sure Naruto doesn’t find out. He only knows it’s a top-secret, S-rank mission.”

Sasuke straightens up and nods to his brother. Itachi dismisses him and Sasuke walks home between the tents. His brother was temporarily instated at Hokage after Pain’s attack when Tsunade wouldn’t wake from her coma. When she did, she decided to step down permanently and let Itachi remain the sixth Hokage. Surprisingly, nobody objected. Itachi’s loyalty has seldom been questioned and now that Sasuke and Naruto are heroes, the people have no reason to be discontent.

Sasuke struggles sometimes to not hold a grudge against the people of Konoha for their sudden shift, but he made a promise. He intends to honor it.

~+~+~+~

The boat ride is fairly uneventful. Sasuke has to force Naruto not to take a mushroom from a stranger at one of the resupply ports, Gai gets seasick, the whole ship almost gets sunk, but they finally make it three-quarters of the way and have to pass through an area of land.

“By the way,” Aoba mentions as they run through the treetops. “When we were at the port, I overhead someone mention that there’s an imposter in these woods.”

“Eh? What kind of imposter?” Naruto asks.

A crash up ahead stops them all and a huge man with a spiked club steps out of the clearing dust.

“Look, I’ve got nothin’ against you, but meeting me here means your luck’s run out!” the oaf announces, wearing a backward, handmade Konoha forehead protector.

Sasuke narrows his eyes and stays on Naruto’s right, slightly behind him.

“Who are you?” Naruto asks him.

“Oho! The great ninja that drove Akatsuki out of Konoha village, Naruto Uzumaki-sama stands before you!”

For a moment, everyone is silent.

“Well, there he is,” Aoba says calmly.

“Eh?! So then, the imposter you were talking about earlier…”

“That’s right,” Aoba sighs, as unamused as the rest of the party.

 _That’s supposed to be Naruto?_ Sasuke thinks, raising an eyebrow at the red-headed giant. _He might be even stupider than_ my _Naruto._

Sasuke bites his lip to stop himself from snickering, even as Gai, Aoba, and Yamato burst out laughing. Sasuke sneaks a glance at the real Naruto and can’t stop himself. He turns away quickly and laughs, covering his mouth. Naruto shoots him a glare before turning his attention back to the giant and putting his hands on his hips.

“Oi, oi, oi! How dare you laugh at and ignore me?!” the imposter shouts, indignant.

“Jeez… Hey, if you’re Naruto Uzumaki from Konoha, then who am I?!” Naruto asks, narrowing his eyes at him.

Finally, the buffoon seems to realize who he's talking to. He glances at Sasuke and his eyes widen further as Sasuke puts a hand on the hilt of his sword, still smirking. A bead of sweat drips down the imposter’s forehead and he looks back at Naruto.

Then he challenges Naruto to a battle to prove who the “real” Naruto Uzumaki is, and Sasuke almost loses it. He manages to keep his cool and agree when Aoba tells him to fight seriously or else they might mistake the imposter for the real Naruto.

Naruto grinds his teeth and glares at Sasuke, who raises his eyebrows at him in return.

“Itachi-nii is going to be so disappointed in me if I bring an imposter home.”

“Bastard. Fine! I have no choice then.”

Within seconds, Naruto hands the bandit his ass. A government official comes running in claiming he’s been after this bandit for some time, but something about him doesn’t sit right with Sasuke. The imposter doesn’t seem surprised by his arrival. Perhaps that’s just because he’s just been beaten soundly, but Sasuke isn’t sure.

They keep an eye on the pair after the incident, and sure enough, the two are working together.

It takes about two hours and a band of mercenaries before Naruto convinces Iggy, the false government official, to defend Banna as his friend and teaches them the value of bonds.

“Can I ask you two something before you go?” Iggy pipes up as the shinobi are about to continue on their way.

Sasuke hums and turns around with Naruto. Iggy glances between them before he opens his mouth again.

“Why are you two so close? People say you never see one of you without the other.”

Sasuke and Naruto exchange a look for a moment. They turn back to the bandits and Sasuke crosses his arms while Naruto slips his hands into his pockets and smiles.

“That’s a long, personal story,” Sasuke tells them, narrowing his eyes.

“Let’s just say, we were there for each other when nobody else was,” Naruto replies, gazing sideways at his best friend.

Sasuke clicks his tongue and glares at him out of the corner of his eye.

“Usuratonkachi. You don’t have to say something like that. They’ll get the wrong idea.”

“Let’s go, you two,” Yamato calls from up ahead. “We can’t afford to be late.”

“Osu,” Naruto answers, turning away. “Come on, Sasuke.”

“I know, usuratonkachi.”

Once they’re out of earshot, Iggy and Banna smile.

“They’re in love, aren’t they?” Banna asks.

“Yeah, but I don’t think they’ve told each other yet,” Iggy replies, taking his hand carefully and interlacing their fingers. “Let’s go home, Banna.”

~+~+~+~

Sasuke isn’t the least bit surprised when Naruto convinces Bee to train him. That boy could probably talk the very sun into going cold if he tried. He will be a great Hokage; perhaps the best Konoha has ever seen.

Not that Sasuke is biased or anything.

Itachi sends him letters on the progress of the war with his crows, and Sasuke makes sure to keep him updated on the status of Naruto’s training, as well as the numerous mishaps that befall Naruto’s guard.

When Naruto breaks out of the training hall and senses the war, Sasuke can’t stop him. Physically, he could, but he understands Naruto better than anyone and knows that Naruto won’t be able to rest unless he’s doing everything he can to help his friends in the war. So, he follows Naruto and Killer Bee out into the real world and joins the battle alongside them.

He was never suited to being a bodyguard anyway.

Team 7 helps to end the war and all the dead return to the afterlife. Sasuke and Naruto begin the trek back home afterward with Kakashi-sensei. Sakura tells them she has to travel with the main company and tend to the wounded.

Sasuke stares into the fire one night as he tends the flames. Naruto is sitting beside him and Kakashi is sitting on a tree branch overhead, reading Makeout Paradise.

“Sasuke,” Naruto calls.

Sasuke hums his acknowledgement without lifting his gaze. Naruto sighs heavily and continues, keeping his voice low enough that Kakashi won’t hear him.

“Are you going to leave Konoha and travel again?”

Sasuke looks up and frowns at him.

“Why would I?”

“I don’t know, it’s just… You don’t seem happy in the village,” Naruto says, averting his eyes and drawing circles with his fingertip in the dirt. “I want you to be happy, and… it’s okay if that doesn’t include me.”

Sasuke leans away from the fire and sits up straight, shifting to face Naruto.

“Naruto. Look at me,” Sasuke requests, waiting until Naruto obeys before he continues. “I’m not going to leave. You mean everything to me, and I don’t think I could ever be happy again without you. You’re the best thing that ever could have happened to me. Every good part of my soul exists because of you. So don’t you ever assume I’d be happier anywhere other than by your side.”

Naruto smiles and looks away, the fire reflecting in his eyes a little too well.

“Do you still have nightmares?” Naruto asks softly.

“Sometimes,” Sasuke admits, still watching him. “But they’re not about my clan anymore.”

_They’re about you._

“Oh,” Naruto says, looking down. “Sorry I haven’t really… been there for you.”

“Idiot. You’ve been busy. We both have.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.”

Naruto sniffs and wipes a tear from his left eye as it falls. Sasuke has the strangest longing to reach out and take his hand just to comfort him, so he does. Naruto startles and looks at him, but Sasuke stares back evenly. His gaze flicks down to Naruto’s lips and Naruto licks them subconsciously. Sasuke looks back into his eyes and sees his own hesitance and uncertainty mirrored there, his lust too.

“Oi, oi, keep an eye on the fire, you two!” Kakashi calls down jovially.

“I’m going to kill him,” Sasuke states in a matter-of-fact tone, a vein pulsing in his temple.

“That doesn’t sound like a terrible idea, actually,” Naruto replies, both of them turning to glare at their teacher.

Kakashi just smiles his usual bullshit smile and goes back to reading his book.

~+~+~+~

They arrive back at home and take turns in the shower. Eventually, they both collapse on opposite sides of the couch and glance at each other.

“So,” Naruto starts, looking away at the ceiling. “Are we gonna talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” Sasuke asks, already fairly certain he knows what Naruto means.

“The night you almost kissed me.”

Sasuke’s heart fluctuates and he feels his cheeks heat up. Naruto meets his gaze and Sasuke clears his throat, looking down at the floor.

“I suppose we should.”

Naruto just stares at him. Sasuke looks up eventually, tense and nervous.

“If you expect me to apologize, I’m not going to.”

“I don’t want you to,” Naruto replies evenly. “I want to know how you really feel about me.”

“I… I don’t know, alright?” Sasuke sighs, tucking his feet up on the couch and curling in on himself a bit. “It’s… I don’t know. I just want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Naruto smiles at that.

“Then, why don’t we move out? I’m sure Itachi nii-san could use a break from us. We’ll find our own apartment together.”

Sasuke sighs and relaxes, still looking away. That’s not quite what he meant.

“What am I to you?” Sasuke asks quietly.

“Hm? What kind of question is that?” Naruto replies with a forced smile, a touch of anxiety in his tone. “You’re my best friend.”

“Friends don’t look at each other the way we do,” Sasuke retorts, shaking his head. “We’re more than friends and you know it.”

Naruto remains silent for a moment.

“Sasuke, I’m sorry. I don’t think this could work.”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“I’m… You deserve so much better than me,” Naruto says, bowing his head. “I don’t know. I love you, but it’s not… I think it’s different. You're like... not a brother, but not something else.”

Sasuke stares at him and exhales, something between a chuckle and a scoff.

“I can’t believe you. You know, for a second I honestly thought I had a chance,” he breathes, shaking his head.

Naruto’s frown deepens, a crease appearing between his eyebrows.

“Sasuke, I--”

“Don’t. Please, don’t. I should have known better. I _really_ should have known better,” Sasuke replies, staring up at the ceiling and blinking quickly. “I have to go. Don’t come looking for me.”

Sasuke grabs his cloak by the door, slips on his shoes, and leaves, slamming the door behind him as his name leaves a metallic aftertaste on Naruto’s tongue behind him.

~+~+~+~

Sasuke races across the rooftops like a shadow in the night, the moon lighting his path. His tears partially blind him, but they disappear into the night air as he runs. Finally, he reaches his destination and stares up at the old arch. The compound barely survived Pain’s attack, being on the edge of the village. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Sasuke walks in.

This is the one place Naruto and Itachi won’t think to look for him. He hasn’t come back here since Itachi brought him to learn their clan’s techniques.

Sasuke makes his way through the empty streets as if he’s walking through a dream. He finds the old dock where he first learned the fireball technique and sits on the end, crossing his legs with a sigh.

“Damn it,” Sasuke curses under his breath. “That idiot.”

He looks out over the water and wipes his eyes. He’s supposed to be stronger than this. Crying over a stupid crush. What a joke.

It’s more than a crush, though.

Sasuke tried to suppress it. He tried to ignore it, but it’s been years. Naruto still means the world to him. Sasuke is in love with him.

“Why?” Sasuke asks the moon, voice soft and broken. Louder, angry, he shouts, “Why him?! Hah?!”

Sasuke lies back on the dock, the stiff wood no match for the pain in his chest. He closes his eyes and sighs again. Maybe he can fall asleep and never wake up.

~+~+~+~

Naruto sits on the sofa after Sasuke leaves, shocked. He isn’t sure what to do. He’s not sure what just happened, either.

So Sasuke does love him. He had his suspicions, but he never really thought it could be true. He likes Sasuke, but not like that. It’s not love, it’s something… different. It has to be.

 _What if it isn’t?_ a little voice in the back of his mind calls. _What if you do love him?_

Naruto gulps. They’ve fought by each other’s side for years. Defended each other, stayed by each other when they were sick, trained, learned, and lived together for nearly a decade, on and off. God, it’s already been that long.

Naruto is still staring into the distance, lost in thought, when Itachi comes home. He hangs his white cloak with its red flame trim in the entry hall and frowns at Naruto.

“Where’s Sasuke?”

Naruto looks up with wide eyes. He doesn’t know.

“Itachi,” Naruto whispers, pleading for him to have some sort of answer. “I messed up.”

Itachi walks to the kitchen and puts the kettle on before he comes back around and sits with Naruto on the couch.

“What’s wrong?”

“I… Sasuke said he… I don’t know,” Naruto stammers, staring at his hands. “On the way home from the war, he almost kissed me. He told me I mean everything to him. So when we came back, and we were finally alone, I asked him how he feels about me. I panicked. I told him we could never work, and he stormed off. Damn it, Itachi, I messed up big time, dattebayo.”

“Why in the great shinobi nations would you tell him you two wouldn’t work?”

“I... I thought I just felt lust toward him, but then he left, and now I’m not so sure anymore.”

“You moron,” Itachi sighs, standing up to make them each a cup of tea. “Do you have any idea where he went?”

“No,” Naruto answers, accepting the cup Itachi hands him.

“Okay. We’ll find him tomorrow. For now, why don’t you drink this and go to bed? You just won the war, I think you deserve some rest.”

Naruto nods and obeys, too distressed to do anything else.


	6. What's A Soulmate?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the non-graphic smut I tagged. Hopefully, the blatant foreplay is enough to satisfy your imagination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCK I'm sorry it's been so long I lost track of time and just finished finals week but I'm finally DONE WITH SCHOOL and get to enjoy my summer break. I'll be heading out of the country on vacation next Saturday, so I'll try to finish this up before then.

Sasuke feels something hard pressed against his side. Slowly, he opens his eyes to the morning light and realizes he’s shivering, surrounded in the mist coming off the pond. He sits up and rubs the back of his neck, rolling his head to work out the kinks.

Suddenly, he remembers last night and the reason he’s out here instead of lying in his warm bed, or better, Naruto’s. With a sigh, Sasuke glances at his reflection over the side of the dock and runs a hand through his hair to try and tame it.

Grunting from the soreness in his body, Sasuke stands and makes his way back through the compound. He finds his old house and breathes for a moment before he enters it. Everything looks the same, if a little dusty. He picks up a picture frame in the hall of himself and Itachi as kids and smiles at it.

That was a long time ago.

He sets the photograph back down and continues through the house until he finds the bathroom. It feels strange to be here. The bodies have all been burned, his clan’s eyes lost except for Itachi and Sasuke. With Obito and Shisui dead, they really are the last ones.

Itachi has no interest in relationships, and if Sasuke doesn’t have a child either, the clan line ends. The Sharingan disappears forever.

Maybe that’s a good thing. It’s a violent kekkei genkai which curses its users.

Sasuke sinks to the floor of the bathroom with his back against the side of the tub. Naruto won’t be able to act the same around him ever again. Sasuke doesn’t want to stop being friends and he doesn’t want things to change, but they will.

Sasuke should’ve left well enough alone and let them stay friends. He should have gotten over Naruto and kept his thoughts to himself. Sasuke made a mistake in telling him. The worst part is, he can’t be mad at Naruto. Not in the slightest.

Love is a cruel thing.

Sasuke bites his lip as silent tears roll down his cheeks. He just wants Naruto to want him this badly too. He wants to make him happy for the rest of their lives. He thought he saw his emotions reflected in Naruto’s eyes that night, but apparently, he was wrong.

Who could ever love someone as broken as him, anyway?

Sasuke laughs ruefully and wipes his tears. He can’t go home. He can’t face Naruto, not after this. And Itachi. No doubt Naruto told him what happened. What will he do?

What should Sasuke do?

~+~+~+~

“Naruto, I can’t help you,” Itachi says before he leaves for work.

“No, I know. I’ll just use sage mode to trace his chakra,” Naruto replies, already seating himself cross-legged on the balcony. “I’ll see you later, Itachi-nii.”

“Good luck.”

Naruto nods and Itachi leaves. After a few minutes, Naruto enters sage mode and searches Konoha for the chakra signature that has become so familiar to him.

There! In the old Uchiha compound.

Silently, Naruto races to find him before Sasuke can move. As his feet travel over the shingles, he tries to think of what he’ll say. For once, Naruto can’t come up with the right words. _I love you_ sounds too cliche, and he’s pretty sure Sasuke doesn’t want to hear _I’m sorry_.

Still speechless, Naruto drops from the rooftops in front of the house Sasuke is in. He releases sage mode and steps inside cautiously, slipping his shoes off in the doorway.

“Sasuke?” he calls.

No response. Naruto frowns and makes his way farther into the house. He hears crying from the bathroom and feels his heart break. He sits on the floor with his back against the door and listens.

“I told you not to come looking for me,” Sasuke says with none of his usual sarcasm.

“I know.”

A moment of silence passes between them. Sasuke is the first one to break it.

“Why are you here?”

“Why do you think?” Naruto replies, turning his head to speak through the door.

“Because you’re a moron.”

Naruto chuckles and looks back up at the wall.

“Yeah, maybe. But I’m your moron. Until the very last star in the universe dies, I’m yours.”

“Don’t say things you don’t mean,” Sasuke whispers in a broken voice.

“I do mean it,” Naruto insists firmly. “Last night, I didn’t know how I felt toward you and I said something awful and stupid.”

“Yeah, you did,” Sasuke scoffs. “So you know how you feel now, then?”

“Not really,” Naruto admits, smiling slightly. “But I do know I don’t want to lose you. I know I want to hold your hand and stay up talking to you until the sun rises. I want to be as close as we used to be, before we split up to train and before the war. I want you, Sasuke, in all your broken pieces.”

One heartbeat. Two. Four.

“Why?”

Sasuke’s voice is so sad, so broken that Naruto stops breathing for a second.

“Goddamnit, Sasuke, why wouldn’t I? It’s always been you. It always will be. Accept it, bastard, I love you more than the stars.”

Another moment of silence. Then a warm, low chuckle. Naruto grins and leans his head back against the door.

“I made you laugh,” Naruto comments.

“Shut up, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke retorts, his tone affectionate.

Naruto keeps grinning like an idiot.

“Does this mean we’re dating now?”

“...I’d like to be,” Sasuke replies hesitantly.

“Then, can I call you my boyfriend?” Naruto asks, raising an eyebrow despite the fact that Sasuke can’t see him.

“Only if I get to do the same.”

Naruto isn’t sure he can smile any wider than he already is.

He hears Sasuke shift on the other side of the door. The lock clicks and the door swings open as Naruto rises and turns. Sasuke smiles at him with red-rimmed eyes, tear stains running down his cheeks, and Naruto hugs him.

“I love you,” Sasuke whispers, holding him tightly.

“I love you too,” Naruto replies, still beaming. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

“Wait,” Sasuke says, pulling back only enough to look into Naruto’s eyes and cup his jaw.

Naruto stares back at him for just a second before they close their eyes and kiss, and the world cracks open. It feels like coming home after a long mission, but better than that. Their chakra seems to connect, leaving a burning feeling in their lips.

When they finally break apart, they hesitate to open their eyes for a moment, almost afraid that kiss was a dream.

“Wow,” Naruto breathes, eyelids fluttering open.

Sasuke grins at him, eyes half-lidded. Naruto clears his throat and keeps his hips angled carefully back, painfully aware of his body’s reaction.

“You know,” Sasuke murmurs, staring at Naruto’s lips and carding his fingers through Naruto’s hair, “I’ve been waiting to do that for a long time.”

Naruto is starstruck. All he can think of is Sasuke. The feeling of his lips, his fingers in Naruto’s hair, his dark eyes. Sasuke looks back up and gazes into Naruto’s eyes. For the first time, Naruto realizes just how attractive Sasuke is.

“God, I want you,” Naruto utters without thinking.

Sasuke arches an eyebrow and Naruto blushes, but he can’t take it back now. He won’t.

“Yeah?” Sasuke asks, stepping back. “Well, we’re the only ones in a four-block radius.”

Naruto blinks. This has to be a dream. Or maybe he’s dead. Yeah, this must be Heaven. He probably died in the war and this is his heaven.

“What?” Sasuke asks, looking at Naruto quizzically. “Sorry, that was too forward.”

“Uh, no, it’s just… I’m dead, aren’t I?” Naruto asks, frowning.

Sasuke narrows his eyes and stares at him for a moment. Then he smirks and loops his arms around Naruto’s neck.

“Moron. This is real,” Sasuke assures him.

Naruto hums skeptically and crosses his arms, stepping back.

“The Sasuke I know would never be this flirtatious.”

“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think, usuratonkachi.”

“No, I’m pretty sure there’s no way this is real,” Naruto replies, shaking his head and walking back to the living room.

Sasuke huffs and narrows his eyes, throwing a kunai at him with the precision to nick a few strands of Naruto’s golden hair before the knife embeds itself in the wall beyond him. Naruto turns with wide eyes and grins, slowly.

“Usuratonkachi,” Sasuke snaps, glaring at him as he stalks over to him. “I guess I’ll just have to prove it.”

Naruto catches Sasuke by his waist and stumbles backward until he trips onto the couch, pulling Sasuke down on top of him. Sasuke presses his thigh between Naruto’s legs and hears him moan.

“How’s that for _real_?” Sasuke taunts, smirking at him.

“Just shut up,” Naruto retorts, cheeks pink.

Sasuke kisses his neck gently, taking his time. He wants to savor this. Naruto, the strongest shinobi in Konoha and his best friend, weak and breathless beneath him. Completely at his mercy.

“What are you doing?” Naruto murmurs, looking at him through half-lidded, dazed eyes.

“Hopefully, you.”

“Not what I meant but okay.”

Sasuke smirks and kisses him breathless.

~+~+~+~

They stumble into Itachi’s office later, smiling at each other and throwing casual banter like they always do. Itachi looks up at them and raises his eyebrows, removing his reading glasses.

“Well. I can see you two clearly worked things out.”

“You could say that,” Sasuke replies, looking over at Naruto and intertwining their fingers.

“What did you want to talk to us about, Itachi?” Naruto asks, smiling crookedly.

“I want to promote you both to ANBU.”

Sasuke looks back at him and grows serious. Naruto raises his eyebrows.

“Really?” Naruto asks, surprised. “But I’m still a genin.”

“And a war hero,” Itachi replies calmly, looking back at the papers he was sorting through. “Your squad leader is codenamed Tenzou. Sasuke, your codename will be Yin. Naruto, yours is Yang.”

He opens a drawer behind his desk and pulls out two masks. One is shaped like a fox with orange marks and the other is a hawk, with black markings. The two of them take their masks carefully and look at them.

“Report for duty at training ground four tomorrow morning at dawn. Be precise,” Itachi instructs, giving them a look. “And I want you both to move out. I’m tired of babysitting you, and I met someone during the war.”

“Oh, really?” Naruto asks, grinning. “Who?”

“You’ll meet them soon enough. Go pack your things and find an apartment, I want you gone within a week,” Itachi replies, making a shooing gesture.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at him, but Naruto pulls him away. They let go of each other’s hand before they leave Itachi’s office, and start the trek back home.

“Should we tell anyone?” Naruto asks lowly once they’re outside.

“I don’t know,” Sasuke replies, looking down. “I want to, but between you being the next Hokage and me being one of the last Uchiha…”

“Yeah. People are going to expect us to have heirs. And, honestly, I really want to be a father,” Naruto admits, shrugging as he slips his hands into his pockets and kicks a stone.

Sasuke smiles and glances over at him. Naruto looks nervous, as if Sasuke might be upset by that admission.

“So do I. Although, I doubt either of us would be very good ones.”

Naruto chuckles and agrees, looking up at the sky.

“We can see how things play out,” Sasuke suggests calmly. “Hinata really likes you.”

“Wait, seriously?” Naruto asks, gaping at him.

“Mhm. You haven’t noticed?” Sasuke replies, raising an eyebrow at him. “She stares at you all the time. Since we were in the academy.”

“Hehe, I hadn’t noticed,” Naruto admits, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling sheepishly.

“Don’t act smug about it, dobe. You’re mine now,” Sasuke taunts, smirking at him.

Naruto grins at him with a dark glimmer in his eye.

“After this morning, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”

They share a smile and keep walking in companionable silence, a little too close for friends, a little too far apart for anyone to assume they’re lovers.


	7. Say You Love Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Domestic fluff to what's really not domestic or fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter; sorry to leave you on such an angsty cliffhanger.

“Say, Sasuke, where do you want these?” Naruto asks, holding up a few scrolls.

“Just on the bookshelf is fine,” Sasuke replies, nodding to it as he unboxes the limited kitchen supplies Itachi has allowed them to take.

They’ll have to go shopping.

A knock sounds at the door and one of Naruto’s clones answers it. Sasuke glances over and smiles.

“Sakura, Ino, what a pleasant surprise.”

“Wow. You seem happy,” Ino comments, raising her eyebrows at him as she hands Naruto’s clone a bouquet. “Did we miss something?”

“Not at all,” Sasuke assures her, swiping a vase down from where he just put it in the cabinet.

He hands it to the clone and walks over, the real Naruto coming to join him. Sasuke invites them to sit, and the four of them settle down in the living room.

“Nice place,” Sakura comments, looking around. “How much does rent cost?”

Naruto chuckles sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck.

“The landlord was kind enough to give us a discount,” he admits, shrugging. “How’s the hospital doing?”

“Oh, fine. You know, busy as ever,” Ino answers, taking her girlfriend’s hand.

“Since Tsunade passed it on to us, we’ve been working almost nonstop. We’ve only got a few hours off before we have to go back, but we thought we’d stop by and see how you’re doing,” Sakura adds cheerfully. “Any news on Itachi’s mystery man?”

“Not really,” Naruto says, shaking his head. “He won’t tell us anything. Apparently, they have some legal stuff to clear up before we can meet him.”

“That’s unfair, you’re his brothers!” Ino exclaims incredulously.

“I know, but he’s even more stubborn than Sasuke,” Naruto sighs, leaning over to punch his roommate in the shoulder lightly.

“As if you’re any better, usuratonkachi.”

Naruto snickers.

“So, do either of you have anyone special?” Ino asks, raising her eyebrows with the pitch of her voice.

They glance at each other and back at their friends.

“No,” Naruto states matter-of-factly, “we’re still single. Both of us.”

Sasuke almost groans. Naruto couldn’t be any less convincing.

“Actually, Naruto’s had his eye on Hinata for some time now,” Sasuke interjects, carefully not looking at his boyfriend.

“He has?” Sakura replies, staring at him.

“Er, yeah! She’s really, uh, pretty, dattebayo. And strong.”

“Naruto, please stop talking,” Sasuke hisses, glaring at him out of the corner of his eye.

“Pretty, and strong? Sounds like someone else I know,” Ino comments, smirking at Sasuke.

Sasuke stiffens and stares back at her blankly. Suddenly, Sakura’s eyes go wide and she grins.

“Oh! Oh my god, why didn’t I see it earlier?!”

Everyone frowns at her and she covers her mouth with her hands, glancing between the two of them.

“You’re together now, aren’t you?”

Simultaneously, they begin to deny it profusely. A smile creeps onto Ino’s face. They only stop objecting when she squeals.

“You two are _totally_ a couple! Wow. I’m so happy for you two, I’ve honestly been waiting for this for years.”

“Wait, you knew?” Sasuke asks, frowning at her.

“Of course I did, Sasuke, half the village knew. We just assumed he was too oblivious and you gave up.”

Naruto huffs indignantly and starts to argue again, but Sasuke gives him a look and cuts him off.

“He was too oblivious.”

Naruto scowls and points at him as he retorts, “Hey, I managed to hook you in the end, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Sasuke replies sarcastically, rolling his eyes, “and twelve hours earlier, you told me we would never work.”

“You _what_?” Sakura asks, gaping.

“It’s a long story,” Naruto tells her, turning pink.

“It’s really not,” Sasuke argues, shaking his head. “I almost kissed you on the way home from the war, but Kakashi interrupted and when we got home you asked me about it. I told you how I felt and you turned me down, so I left. You chased after me the next morning and told me you love me.”

Naruto huffs, fully red now. Sakura and Ino smile at them.

“That’s really sweet, Naruto.”

“Yeah,” Ino agrees, “but why did you two try to say Naruto likes Hinata?”

“Because he’s going to be the next Hokage, and we both want to have children, so he has to get married,” Sasuke sighs, glaring at him. “We’d like to avoid a scandal which could lower his standing with the village elders, so we can’t just find a surrogate. The easiest answer would be to talk Hinata into marrying him, as it would benefit both the Hyuuga clan and Naruto. As for me, well, nobody is going to pay as much attention to the private life of the Hokage’s bodyguard.”

“But you want to carry on your clan too, right?” Sakura asks, frowning at him.

“Of course, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be a very present father figure.”

“What if we told you we have a solution?” Ino suggests, raising her eyebrows.

“I’m listening,” Sasuke replies, leaning forward.

“After the wounded soldiers finally peter out and the hospital becomes manageable again, we can begin research on a technique that allows an egg to be fertilized outside the body and then implanted in a woman’s uterus,” Sakura tells them. “If Hinata agrees to your… admittedly not well thought-out plan, then we could use this technique to give Naruto and Hinata a child without them ever having to have sex.”

“I’m still here, dattebayo.”

“Shut up,” Sasuke tells him calmly, still looking at Sakura. “And what do you propose we do for my heir?”

“Well, it’s obviously up for debate, but you and I could marry and use the same technique, so there wouldn’t be any scandal for either of you. Of course, Ino will remain my roommate and raise our child, so you won’t necessarily have to be a parent. Naruto will have to at least buy a house with Hinata, but it’s a solution,” Sakura says with a shrug.

“Hn. We’ll have to discuss it more some other time,” Sasuke replies, standing up. “You two have to get back to work, and so do we.”

“Yes. Thank you for your hospitality, and… congratulations,” Ino states, following her girlfriend and Sasuke to the door.

Sasuke nods his acknowledgement and closes the door behind them when they leave. Then he turns to Naruto.

“What do you think about it?”

“It seems like a good idea, dattebayo. What do you think?”

“It’s fine,” Sasuke replies, going back to the kitchen. “Considering we would both be in false marriages for the sake of our reputations, the children couldn’t know until they’re old enough to understand the politics behind this decision. We don’t need to worry them with keeping our secret.”

“Hm, you’re right, but that wouldn’t be easy,” Naruto muses, frowning thoughtfully. “We would have to spend time with the kids. Maybe when they’re genin, we could be their senseis, dattebayo.”

“ _I_ could. You’re going to be the Hokage. I doubt you’ll even have much time to be with me,” Sasuke retorts, serious.

“I’ll always make time for you, -ttebayo!”

Sasuke smiles sadly. “We sound like we’ve already been together for years.”

“Well, we kind of have,” Naruto admits with a crooked grin.

“You know what I meant,” Sasuke replies, turning around to face him and crossing his arms. “Are you really okay with this?”

“Yeah. Are you?”

Sasuke hums and nods. His gaze lands on the bouquet Ino and Sakura brought him and his smile widens. They picked lobelias and daffodils, blue and yellow. Sasuke has no clue what they symbolize and realizes Ino probably doesn’t either.

“You know I love you, right?” Sasuke says out of the blue, leaning against the counter and uncrossing his arms.

“I could use the reminder,” Naruto replies with a grin, walking over to him.

Naruto puts his hands on Sasuke’s hips and pulls him into a kiss, slow and sweet. They press their foreheads together afterward and smile at each other.

“Want to test out our new bed?” Naruto purrs, pushing Sasuke’s shirt up slightly with his thumbs.

“Absolutely.”

~+~+~+~

Naruto and Sasuke race through the trees behind their squad leader, flanking each other. A man by the codename Sai brings up the rear, and although it has never been spoken, it seems both Sai and Tenzou already know the true names behind Yin and Yang. Only two shinobi in Konoha have the same strength, the same balance, and the same raw loyalty to each other.

Their mission is to intercept a coded scroll traveling between members of a missing-nin gang in the mountains. There have been rumors that the gang plans to create their own shinobi nation by taking over the mountain lands in the north. Konoha and her allies have been asked to aid the smaller nations, and Konoha was put in charge of intelligence.

As such, it is imperative that Konoha decodes the message as soon as possible and sends it out to the other great shinobi nations. Hopefully before the organization can figure out that their message has been intercepted.

Find it, take it, kill the messengers, and bring it back to the Land of Fire.

Simple.

Sasuke certainly wasn’t planning on getting distracted by a close call Naruto had and getting cut himself for his temporary distraction.

At first, it doesn’t feel like much. Naruto notices the cut in the fabric of his uniform, just above his hip and gives him a questioning look, but Sasuke just shakes his head and puts his hand over the wound. They’ve got the scroll. It’s time to go home.

Sasuke pulls his hand away when his comrades are ahead of him and grimaces. His palm is bloody. Bloodier than it should be for just a shallow cut, but it shouldn’t be life-threatening. He can patch himself up when they find a place to rest for the night. He measures his breathing and keeps pressure on the wound, keeping pace with the others so they won’t find out how bad his injury is. They have a mission to complete, after all.

Sasuke is grateful that the mask hides his little grimaces when he steps on the tree branches a little wrong. He knew the mountain trees were taller, but he didn’t remember their branches being this far off the ground. His vision starts to blur and he gets dizzy. His hand feels warm and wet.

 _Just a little longer,_ he tells himself, fighting to keep the world in focus.

Then his foot slips.

The last thing he hears before his head hits a branch on the way down is Naruto’s surprised shout and the rush of air.

~+~+~+~

“Yin!” Naruto shouts, even as his partner’s body falls, droplets of blood falling upward from his side.

Swiftly, Naruto turns around and drops, doing his best to catch Sasuke but between his speed and the bad angle he barely succeeds in softening his landing. He kneels in the grass and lays Sasuke on his back. Naruto can sense as Tenzou and Sai land behind him, but can’t find it in himself to care about them right now. He just wants Sasuke to be alive, _please, be alive!_

“Yang, we have to keep moving,” Sai comments, voice devoid of any emotion.

“I’m not leaving him behind,” Naruto growls, ripping bandages out of his pack to staunch Sasuke’s bleeding.

Sai starts to argue, but Tenzou must do something to stop him. Naruto dresses the wound and carefully picks him up.

“That should stop the bleeding for now, but we have to get him to a medic,” he tells the other two, turning to them with his best friend in his arms.

They nod and the three of them take off into the trees again, Naruto in the lead. He knows he’s pushing his limits, but he can’t afford not to. Sasuke’s life is on the line, and he won’t--can’t--lose him.

“Stay with me, Yin. You’ll be alright,” Naruto whispers.

After a few hours of running, dusk falls and Tenzou suggests they take a break for the night.

“No,” Naruto replies, tone brooking no argument. “I’m going to take him all the way back to Konoha if I have to. I won’t let him die.”

“Yang, wait!” Tenzou shouts, but Naruto is already racing ahead of them.

 _Brat. Why don’t you use my power?_ Kurama rumbles.

“I didn’t think you liked Uchihas, Kurama.”

_I don’t like most, but yours is different. Come on, Naruto._

Smiling, Naruto activates the kyuubi’s chakra. The boost in strength is appreciated, and Sasuke’s eyelids flutter open. He looks up at Naruto with unfocused eyes, blinking slowly. His once-black eyes seem almost grey, despite being shadowed by the trees. Naruto knows his vision deteriorates with the use of the Mangekyou, but Sasuke would never admit it.

“Naru… to?”

“Hush, don’t waste your energy,” Naruto replies softly. “You’re going to be alright. Just… stay with me, okay? Keep your eyes open.”

“Heh. You sound worried about me.”

“Bastard, I am! Why didn’t you tell us you were injured?”

“Because the ANBU don’t take their invalids with them, dobe. We’re probably both going to be demoted for this.”

“I said shut up, bastard.”

Sasuke obeys, and the silence is deafening. Naruto thinks back to the men they had to kill and realizes maybe they aren’t meant to be ANBU. Neither he nor Sasuke enjoys killing. The faces of those men will likely haunt them in their dreams. They chose a profession that requires the skill and the willingness to take lives, but not because of that. They chose to be shinobi to protect their village and prove they deserved, _deserve_ to be Konoha citizens.

Funny how when one is shunned by everyone around them, they often feel the need to prove their very right to exist.

Sasuke drifts in and out of sleep for the two days it takes Naruto to bring him home, stopping only occasionally to relieve themselves, take a quick nap, and change Sasuke’s bandage. He breezes through the gates with hardly a glance at Genma and Raidou and skips across the rooftops in full kyuubi mode, barely slowing down as he stumbles in through the hospital doors.

Naruto removed their masks along the way, sealing them away in a scroll along with their ANBU flak jackets. As soon as he knows Sasuke is going to be okay, he’s heading straight to Itachi’s office to resign for both of them.

“Naruto!” Ino exclaims, eyes widening when she sees him. Her gaze shifts to the wounded man in his arms and her expression turns grim as she says, “Follow me.”

Sasuke smiles up at Naruto weakly, but Naruto can’t look at him for long. He knows Sasuke is on the brink of death, and Sasuke knows it too. He’s lost too much blood, and as careful as Naruto has tried to be, the bandage was barely a patch job.

Ino barks orders to shinobi and civilians alike as she marches through the halls, either telling them to get out of her way or asking them to prepare supplies. She throws open the doors to an operating room and tells Naruto to lay Sasuke down on it. Immediately, she gets to work.

“Sorry Naruto, but you have to leave. Go wait in my office, it’s more private than the waiting room and I’ll come to get you as soon as I can,” Ino tells him, her tone brooking no argument.

Naruto swallows the lump in his throat and leaves, squeezing Sasuke’s hand one last time before he goes. He hopes he made it in time.


	8. Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

Naruto can’t sit still. He tries, really, but he keeps catching himself bouncing his leg or clenching and unclenching his fists. When the door finally opens and Ino steps through, she looks exhausted, but Naruto hasn’t slept properly in days and can barely think, let alone worry about anyone other than the man he’s in love with.

“He’s asleep, but you can see him now,” Ino says before Naruto can get a word in. She collapses into her chair and rubs her temples as she adds, “I put him in a room with a spare bed. Everyone in this building already knows not to disturb you unless one of you calls, so sleep. I don’t know what you did to get him here so fast, but I’m sure you need to rest just as much as he does. Room 205.”

“Thank you, Ino-kun,” Naruto tells her emphatically with a slight bow.

She hums, still rubbing her temples, and Naruto leaves. He finds the room she mentioned and slips inside. He hadn’t realized how late it was getting until he steps inside and finds the whole room lit by nothing but starlight. The new moon is tonight, he realizes. Sasuke lies asleep in the bed nearest the door, chest rising and falling steadily. Quiet and careful not to wake him, Naruto sits on the edge of the second bed and breathes a sigh of relief, pulling his hands through his hair.

As the adrenaline and anxiety wear off, he finally realizes how overwhelmingly exhausted he is. As soon as he shuts his eyes, he falls asleep.

~+~+~+~

Sasuke feels groggy. Painkiller groggy. He opens his eyes slowly and looks around. At first, he thinks he’s the only one in the room. Then he sees Naruto passed out on the second bed, the light of the morning sun illuminating half his face. He’s facing Sasuke, lying on top of the sheets fully dressed, including shoes. From the dirt smudged across his cheek and the dusty state of his uniform, he obviously didn’t go home and change. He probably tried to stay by his side the whole time, the moron. Sasuke smiles as he imagines the look Ino or Sakura would have given him when they told him he had to wait outside the room while they fixed him up. He watches Naruto, listening to the sound of his breathing until the door opens.

“Good morning, Sasuke-kun,” Sakura calls gently, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

She’s dressed for work, so this must not be a courtesy visit.

“How bad was it?” Sasuke asks, knowing better than to tell _her_ he doesn’t need to be hospitalized.

“You had a deep cut in your side, but the knife only scratched the outer lining of your intestine. You had lost a lot of blood, almost two and a half liters. You’re lucky to be alive. I doubt you would be if Naruto hadn’t gotten you here so fast.”

Sasuke smiles over at him again. He doesn’t have the energy or the will to bother concealing the raw love and affection in his eyes. He hears Sakura snort, but he doesn’t care. Must be the painkillers.

“Did he hurt himself?” he asks without turning to her.

“Besides overexertion, no. He should be fine when he wakes up.”

“Thank you.”

Sakura smiles and tilts her head, watching them. Sasuke and Naruto were never made for ANBU.

“Well, get some rest. I’ll let you two go home today, but I expect you to come in once a day for the next week so we can change your bandages.”

Sasuke nods and keeps staring at Naruto. Sakura almost feels like she’s intruding on something. She bows and excuses herself before she goes. Ino is waiting for her in the hall.

“How’d it go?” Ino asks lowly, falling into step beside her.

“Fine,” Sakura replies, still smiling. “I’ll talk to them about the plan later.”

Ino glances back toward the door and raises an eyebrow at her girlfriend.

“Were they really that lovey-dovey?”

“Sasuke’s on painkillers, and Naruto’s fast asleep. I can’t exactly blame them.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Ino sighs, shaking her head nonetheless.

Those two might be the strongest shinobi in the elemental nations, but around each other, they melt.

~+~+~+~

When Naruto wakes, Sasuke is seated in the chair by the window staring out at the village. He startles and glances over with a smile when Naruto calls his name.

“Hey,” Sasuke calls softly.

Naruto sits up with a grunt and rubs his eyes. Sasuke just smiles at him.

“You okay?” Naruto asks, voice rough with sleep.

“Yeah. Thanks to you. I’m lucky to have you.”

“Damn right, bastard,” Naruto yawns.

He stretches his arms overhead and stands up. Sasuke watches him as he comes to join him by the window. Naruto looks uncharacteristically grim, hands in his pockets and shoulders tense. He doesn’t look at Sasuke.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost you,” Naruto admits lowly, watching the life in the village.

Sasuke’s smile falls and he follows Naruto’s gaze.

“I think it’s time we quit the ANBU,” Naruto continues in the same tone of voice, this time sparing Sasuke a sideways glance.

Sasuke hums his agreement.

Someone knocks on the door and they both turn. Sakura and Ino step inside.

“The procedure is ready,” Ino states, solemn. “That's if you two have decided to go through with the plan.”

“Yes,” Naruto responds, crossing his arms and leaning back against the windowsill. “I’ll talk to Hinata and see what she thinks, but from what I’ve heard the Hyuuga clan sees me as the best suitor for their heir.”

“Let me come with you,” Sakura requests, stepping forward. “Trust me, you’ll want a woman to do damage control if things go poorly.”

“Good idea,” Sasuke replies, nodding. “I’m sure this moron won’t remember anything about the procedure anyway.”

“Hey! Bastard…”

“Usuratonkachi.”

“Ugh, just go home already!” Ino groans, turning on her heel to stalk out the door.

Team seven exchanges a glance before they all break into smiles.

“Hey, Sakura-chan, why don’t all three of us go?” Naruto suggests, beaming like the sun.

“That sounds fine. Just try not to break her heart too much; that poor girl really loves you, Naruto.”

Naruto laughs, but there’s a nervous edge to it that makes Sasuke’s smile disappear.

“Naruto, if you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to. Gay couples may be unusual, but they’re hardly new. If you’d rather we told the village and found surrogates instead of fabricating such an intricate lie, I would hardly try to stop you.”

“No, it’s best if we go with the plan,” Naruto replies, letting his fake smile fall. “The council is going to be more willing to accept me as the seventh Hokage if I’m married to a Hyuuga and have a kid than if they find out I’m sleeping with someone who everyone sees as my surrogate brother.”

Sasuke nods and stands up, taking Naruto’s hand to brace himself. They turn to Sakura together and let go of each other’s hand.

“Thank you, Sakura. We have some business to take care of today, but we’ll make dinner arrangements for tomorrow night,” Sasuke states, bowing his head.

“Of course,” she replies, stepping out of their way. “See you then.”

Naruto gives her a smile as he passes and she slips a pill bottle into his hand.

“Make sure he takes one of these per day,” she instructs quietly.

Naruto nods and thanks her quietly before following his boyfriend down the hall. Sakura watches them go with a smile before she gets back to work.

~+~+~+~

“So what do you say?” Naruto asks Hinata, staring into her wide milky eyes with nervous determination.

She blinks once, mouth wide in shock.

“You want me to… to marry you. And ha… have kids. With you. So that you can become Hokage,” she summarizes, blushing pink.

“With the in vitro fertilization, you two will never have to actually sleep together,” Sakura tells Hinata calmly as if she isn’t discussing what could be debatably the biggest fraud in the history of Konoha.

“And you will do the same with Sasuke-kun, yes?” Hinata asks her, finally tearing her gaze away from Naruto.

Sakura nods, smiling faintly. Hinata glances back at Naruto and Sasuke across the table from the two women.

“And you two are… together? Romantically?”

“Yes,” Sasuke answers, taking Naruto’s hand under the table. “The plan will have to span the course of the next few years, maybe a decade. In that time, the four of us would have to convince all of Konoha, including our children, that you and Naruto are in love.”

Hinata bows her head, and for a moment team seven holds their breath. Sakura expects tears, Sasuke expects anger, and Naruto is hopeful that maybe, just maybe, she’ll say yes.

After what feels like ages but is probably just a few seconds, Hinata raises her head and nods, once, firmly.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

Three relieves exhales, followed by one questioning, “Wait.”

The other three turn to look at Naruto.

“Hinata, are you sure?” he asks seriously.

She smiles and nods.

“Of course, Naruto-kun. It’s true that I’ve always admired you and loved you, but I’ve also always known you don’t feel the same. I would be more than happy to be able to call myself your wife, let alone have a child with you. Even if it’s all for the sake of appearances.”

Well damn, now Naruto feels even _worse_ about this.

“Thank you, Hinata,” he tells her emphatically, taking her hand across the table. “I’m sorry to drag you into this.”

“No, it’s alright, really,” she says with a cheerful smile, despite pulling her hand away. “I’m happy you’ve found someone to really fall in love with, even if it isn’t me. Now if you’ll all excuse me, I have to go home. Thank you for the meal.”

She stands and bows, leaving a few ryo on the table. Naruto stares after her, guilt weighing heavily on him.

“Hey, look at me,” Sasuke demands in a low voice, squeezing Naruto’s hand between them until he obeys. “She agreed to do it. I can’t stop you from feeling bad about it, and I feel sort of guilty too, but she wouldn’t say yes if she didn’t know what she’s getting into.”

Naruto sighs and bows his head, stroking Sasuke’s knuckles with his thumb.

“You’re right. I don’t know, I just… She’s a nice girl and a good friend. It feels wrong.”

“I know how you feel, Naruto, but Sasuke’s right,” Sakura adds, giving him a sympathetic look. “This is the best option we have. It avoids political scandal for when you become Hokage, and we all want to be parents. Hinata may be upset with not truly having your heart, but I’m sure she meant it when she said she’s glad you’ve found someone, and she wants to be a mother someday, too; I’ve talked about it with her before. Ino is fine with being left out of the arrangement as long as she gets to live with me and raise a child. I’m sure you two can keep your apartment and spend most of your time there, even when Naruto is a public figure. The kids can’t know the truth until they’re old enough to understand, though.”

“Yeah,” Naruto sighs, feeling the weight of this plan on his shoulders. “I know this is mostly for me, so thank you. Thank you all.”

He looks at Sasuke as he says it, and Sasuke smiles back faintly with a gentle squeeze of his hand.

Naruto is certainly lucky to have his teammates.

He’s never been so startlingly aware of that before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much! This will probably be the end of my Naruto fics, but we'll see. There's potential for a sequel here.


End file.
